Airship construction



R. A. YELL1 1,839,365

AIRSHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 11, 1929 ZSheets-Sheet 1 3 INVEN TOR.

BB 4 A fi 1 1 A Jan; 5, 1932. Q R YELLI| 1,839,365

AIRSHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 11, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR.

Patented Jan. 5, H 32 j sraf'rizs PATENT oFFice nenrrr A. YELLI, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-Furnacrrmrsorrnna, or LOS enem es, CALIFORNIA ,AIRSHEP ooivsrnuorroiv his invention relates to improvements in airships or to lighter than air craft and more particularly to improvements directed to obtaining better stabilization and equilibrium.

further object of'this invention is to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive device of this kind wherein the features of convenient accurate control of the equalizing parts is given to the ships pilot and navilfl gator.

Another object of this invention is to provide reinforcing means and parts for the envelope ofthe airship with a novel disposition and arrangement of girders and beams all designed to make the airship as light and strong as possible.

A still further object thereof is to provide a new type of airship with a series of radially disposed air shafts opening out thru the L! nose end thereof to which compressed air is conducted in a selective manner that Wlll assure compressed air passing thru one or more of the predetermined air shafts; a main air tunnel being provided which is connected with the separate air shafts and being also connected with a blower or suction fan, from which leads an intake pipe outof the lower section of the envelope with a terminal arranged exteriorly of the airship and point- I ing in the direction of the rear of the airship,

' A further object of this invention is to provide at the front end of the airship a stabilizing and steering mechanism of a form disclosed in a ccpending application filed January 29th, 1929, hearing Serial. Number 8355M, which includes a series of forwardly projecting air shafts, propellers mounted externally of the airship and carried by said shafts, and tunnel delivering compressed air thru said air shafts selectively.

Another object of this invention is to so construct the envelope thereof as to provide a coextensive series of dead air spaces whereby to insulate the temperature and atmosphere so that it may not unduly affect the internal surfaces of the airship.

A still further object of this invention is air shafts with selective controlling means to provide shutters or dampers in the several within ready reach of the pilot, navigator or operator of the machine for the purpose of making itpossible for the operator to open any one'or more of the air shafts independently of one another for the reception of compressed air.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and'specification, andthen more particularly pointed" out in the appended claims;

p In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout the respective views, 65

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing one form of my invention,

Figure 2 is a front end elevation of my InVentiOIl,

Figure 3 is a cross sectional elevation taken online 3+3 of Figurel, I

Figure 4 is a fragmental detail view showing the controls for the shutters of the air shafts forming part of my invention,

.Figure 5 is a side elevation of my inven- 75 tion, partly broken'away to disclose a modi- V fication of the air shafts,

' Figure 6 is a cross sectional elevation on line 6-6 of Figure 5, I

Figure 7 is a detail fragmental view of the bracing members for the airship envelope, and

Figure 8 is a cross sectional elevation taken on line 88 of Fig. 5.

Referring to, the drawings which are merely illustrative of my invention the va ious parts of my invention are disclosed.

The envelope of appropriate design and conwhich dead air spaces 16 will operatively be formed. The dead air spaces extending all around the exterior surfaces of the envelope loo 10 will assure insulation inside of the envelope of the atmospheric temperature as well as atmospheric disturbances, so that the temperature within the envelope will be constant.

It is desired to reinforce the envelope in a manner to make it light and strong and for this purpose there is provided suitable bracing means designed to provide a durable structure.

It will be seen that the interior of the envelope 10 will be provided with a plurality of adjacent inflatable bulkheads M at spaced about points. The double-walled exterior surface of the envelope wil be reinforced by means of the diagonal and rectilinear braces or struts l7 and 18 arranged in separate units in'a manner to cause the diagonal struts 17 to converge at their upper and lower ends where they are connected to the adjacent parts of the envelope 10. The rectilinear struts IS connect lateral points of envelope. A central tubular reinforcement may be employed designated 22 in Figure 7 and built thereinto internally are the circular series of struts 28 clustered in snug formation and securely anchored to radially extening rods or stanchions as also connected to the envelope at their ends.

In a co-pending application there has been described an arrangement of parts for producing stabilization of the airship wherein use is made of a longitudinal central air tunnel 21 connected at its inner end to a source of air compression such as the casing F in which an air compressor engine is located, from which casing leads the conduit A in the interior of which 3 air is sucked thru in a manner explained in a former application. From a motor C'connections lead into the interior of this casing F. The air tunnel 21 connects at its forward endwith a series of radially disposed forwardly diverging air shafts each communicating with the air tunnel. The air shafts and the concentric air tunnel all open out of the nose end of the envelope 10 of the airship to the atmosphere, and propellers 31 may be mounted upon the air shafts designated respectively 27', 28,

29 and 30 the inner ends of which air shafts being contracted as 27a, 28a,29a and 30a respectively, the interior of the air tunnel beingdesignated Zia. This arrangement of parts produces atthe front section of the mac ine a stabilizing apparatus consisting of the series of radially disposed air shafts, two of which arearranged at the dead centers of the machine and the other two being arranged at right angles toereto preferably as shown in Figure l. As has been explained in a copending application the purpose of these air shafts is to assist in steering and stabilizing the airship when in flight in or or to maintain at all times an even heel and particularly thru the selective actuation of the the airship 7 dampers or shutters of the air shafts, to prevent listing of the airship.

lVlechanism is provided for controlling predeterminately and selectively the dampers, shutters or valves located in the several air shafts. designates the usual circular damper one of which is disposed in each air shaft, being mounted upon the pintle passing th the particular air shaft and connected externally of the air shaft to an actuating cr unit 32 to which is connected the connecting rod or pitman 32 which at its lower end is connected to another crank 36 fixed upon a common shaft 87 suitably mounted in bear- 1 There is a separate operators handle associated with each separate connecting rod connected to one of the four cranks 32 controlling opening and closing of the dampers or shutters. 'lhese handles or levers 36 have latches and racks (not shown) usual- 1y associated with such devices for operating the connecting rods. Hence by the operator taking hold of the right lever 36 and moving th same over the proper are one connecting rod will be caused to open or close one damp-er or shutter 38 of one air shaft. Hence the operator may selectively operate so as to open or close one or more of the shutters. It w ll be understood that cach lever 36 will operate the crank 3", the latter disp sed loosely upon the shaft 37 ifdesir-ed sothat a. l of the connecting rods will not be operated at the same time.

it will also be observed that the control or operators room is located at the extreme front or nose end of the airship envelope 10 as shown in Figure 1. The controlsconsist ing of the hand levers and the cranks are located on the floor of the operators cabin so that the ilot or navigator may be seated and may operate the controls readily. In order to give the operator a connnanding view of the flying conditions ahead of him and to enable him to determine when to operate what shutters to maintain proper stabilization of the airship there is provided in front of the operator in the nose end of the envelope Q a sight opening 20a covered with window 7 Another s c 1 glass sight opening may e :rovided as at 20 at the upper part of the at .nosesurface of the airship. By thus rrangrig the windows at the nose end of the ip it is possible "to see to better aditil'sll vantage how the ship behaves and this makes it possibieto control the air shafts more conveniently. I

My invention of stabilizing apparatus, located at the front section of the airship, is designed equally well for use on dirigibles of conventional desi n and construction as on the particular type of airship disclosed in the copending application and also disclosed in Figure 1. For this purpose the arrangement is made use of which is disclosed in Figure 5. Here it will be seen that the four radially extending air shafts 27, 28, 29 and are connectedat their rear end with a short length 7 of an air conduit or tunnel 21 and reference being made to Figure 6 it will be seen that this air tunnel 21 has lateral connections of tubular formation, 48, 4864 which communi Cate with the blower-air casings F in which are located suction fans driven by engines G air blowers function. The slit 46 formed in IF the front section of the airship where it serves the same purpose of supplyingthe air shafts with the needed compressed air. a

17 designates the interior construction of the main passenger cabin of the airship and 19 designates the landing gear of the machine. In the bulging or enlargedbodies 42 of the air shafts may be located motors 41 for driving the outside propellers 31 in order to assist in propelling the airship at an even keel. The four connecting rods for operating the four shutters 33 are respectively designated 32, 32a, 32b and 320. 40 designates the main control lever for effecting, if desired, the movement of the horizontal and vertical rudders. 26 designates cross braces between units of reinforcing means. 47 designates the compartment or engine roomfor the air blowers and kindred parts. I do not limit myself to exact details of construction save as appears in the appended claims.

What I desire to protect is 1. In an airship an air-suction stabilizer.

apparatus arrangedtherein and having radially disposed air shafts connected therewith and opening out of the nose end thereof to the atmosphere, an air supply tunnel disposed centrally in said airship, an air suction fan connected with said tunnel, and an intake conduit projecting out of the bottom of the air ship and connected also to said suction fan.

2. In an airship, in combination a series of radially disposed air shafts opening out of the nose end thereof, propellers operatively carried in said air shafts and operating externally thereof, a common air tunnel for said air shafts, a vertically arranged air exhaust pipe having a lower terminal opening out of the envelope of the airship, and a motor casing interposed between the air tunneland said exhaust pipeandfconnected toboth. v I

: 3. In an airship verging outwardly and opening outofi the nose end thereof, a common air supplying tunnel arranged atthe front end of the"air ship and communicating with all of said air shafts, a motor casing connected to said'air tunnel, and an air outlet plpe extending downwardly from said casing and opening out ofthe bottom of "said airship.

'4. In an airship, in combination a-lo-ngi a series of air shafts 'di-j tudinal air tunnel, means transmitting'com- V pressed air, thru said tunnel, a seriesof ra dially disposed air shafts opening out from said tunnel into the nose end of the airship, shutters for regulating the passage of 3,11"

thru said' air shafts collectively and severally, means forcontrolling said shutters, an operators room in thenose end of the airship, in which said controlling meansiare 1.0- cated-,-and windows in the airship in advance of said operators roomcommanding a view ahead of navigation conditions. v

5. In an airship in combination a series of separate air shafts opening out of the nose end of the ship, a shutter movably mounted in each of the air shafts, a platform below said air shafts, operators room equipment on said platform, a window on the nose end of the airship giving the operator a commanding view of navigation conditions ahead, and manually controlled mechanism on said platform designed to collectively and, severall operate said shutters.

6. In an airship, a plurality ofradially disposed air shafts opening out of the nose end thereof, a main air tunnel also opening out of the nose end of the airship being concentric with said air shafts and feeding air thru the latter, a compressed-air power generating plant to which the main air tunnel is connected, a damper rotatably operated in each air shaft adjacent the free end thereof, pintles on said air shafts upon which the dampers are mounted, cranks fixed upon said pintles externally of said air shafts, connecting rods for operating the several cranks selectively,'a common shaft for all of said connecting rods having cranks connected to the latter, and manually controlled means for selectively operatingsaid connecting rods.

7. In an airship, a central air tunnel opening out of the front end thereof four air shafts connected thereto and having terminals opening out of the front end of the airship, two of which are arranged at the dead centers and two at right angles thereto, propellers arranged externally of the airship and operating in the several air shafts, damp having a loweroutlet exhaust terminal projecting out of and beneath the envelope of the airship and'pointing to the rear of the ship, anair'blowerplant to which the upper terminal of said air tunnel is connected, and a plurality of radiallyseparated independent 'but interconnected air shafts leading from said plant forwardly and divergingly and having their outer ends opening out of the airship.

9. In an airship stabilizing apparatus, an airsuotion plant located in the front end of theairship and consisting of a pair of spaced apart air blowers engines, anair tunnel havinv lateral offsets communicating with both of :said blowers, a pair of downwardly extending air outlet conduitsleading-from said blowers and out thru the lower section of the airshipto theatmosphere, and a plurality of collectively or independentlycontrolled air shafts leadingfrom said air tunnel to the extreme front end of the airship and opening out to'the atmosphere.

In witness whereof he has hereunder set his hand this 22nd day of October, 1929.

RALPH A. YELLL 

